By Nguyen Hoang Khoi (Denny Nguyen)
In 2013, when I was a high-school student, I attended a summer camp trip to Canada, in which a sightseeing tour to Victoria was included. The astonishing beauty and peaceful atsmosphere of Victoria totally “took my hearts away”. I enjoyed seeing many European-style buildings and watching sea creatures, communing with the nature creatures there under so cool the weather. It can be said that, Victoria made a good impression on me. That was the first time I went abroad and first impression was indeed always hard to be forgotten. Therefore, six years later, when I was thinking of getting a Master degree, without any hesitation, I immediately thought of Canada, or specifically Victoria, to be destination for my future studying. Eventually, I found out and have been so excited about University of Victoria as well as its school of business. Also, I strongly believe in nowhere but there I will have best chances to embark on my journey to the bigger World! The following pages are going to give you further explanations for my conviction.
1
2
As stated by Dr. Saul Klein – Dean of Peter B. Gustavson School of Business, four outstanding core values of the school are: “international, integrative, innovative and sustainability/social responsibility”. Besides, concept of differences is another philosophy playing roles as the heart of the four value pillars of Gustavson, which is propagatedated throughout its strategies, teaching styles, program strutures and ways of broadening students’ mindset. After acknowledging about Gustavon, I specially find myself much interested and inspired by the slogan:
“
See things differently - The World looks different from here
”
The slogan indicates that the school sets “differences” at priority, which is exactly I usually force myself to do. Yet noting the concept of differences here is examined by only optimistic, positive, or innovative sides. I personally perceive the slogan as following:
3
Gustavson school of business is seeking for innovation in programs, teaching styles, strategies and further many aspects by attempting to be distinct. Seeing things from many perspectives will bring you new thoughts and ideas, which are indispensable materials of development.
4
Second, in terms of cultures and human communities, I call differences by another term - “diversity”. Gustavson has been always a vibrant institution by ceaselessly searching for such diversity and encourage students’ global mindset. We can see that many students are from international. Each of them is a shade of a color, nobody is similar to one another. They have different skin colors, appearances, languages and costumes.
Peter B. Gustavson School of Business understands well needs of international students. Most students accept to live far from family and to face challanges, and invest a prodigious amount of money for studying abroad, just to achieve different knowledge beyond the boundary of home country, or simply to experience what they have not experienced before. Therefore the school always tries to design unique practical programs that meet such demands. Master of Global Business is indeed a typical example for what I have said.
5
THE FUTURE PLAN In my country, we are usually born and raised to see, to feel, to think exactly the same as what majority of people want us to do so. For example, Vietnamese parents usually draw an education, career, marriage or whatever paths they think best for their children, and then, force children to follow. We, adolescents are hardly allowed to determine ourselves. It is all because parents assure that children without parents’ arrangement, with less experience and immature perceptions usually fail to do big things. Or, some people may afraid that their children will do something unlike “others usually do”. I do not want to argue or criticize anything but wishing for a difference. Fortunately, I get sympathy from parents. They foster my higher education, respect my own decisions no matter how they are different, since they know that stereotypes are going to restrain my self-development. Thus, my parents allowed my studying abroad, from which I also expect to acquire more new knowledge outside the border of my home country and to seek for opportunities for my future plan.
6
STEP Theoretically, a Vietnamese student works full - time or part - time since their last year of university, thus, most of them usually have no gaps for traveling or relaxing after graduating but immediately jumping into work. Supposed that I had not wanted to go studying abroad for an MBA, I still would have not worked right away! I never give up on interest and dream of traveling to many other places, meeting foreign friends, knowing many more cultures. Therefore, I would like to spend a year on traveling to places I have never been to; reading interesting books; learning new things, before backing to study.
7
My family is running a transportation company. Some people may think I inherit the company from my father. However, from the bottom of heart, I do not want that. After gaining Master degree, with experiences I had from a small start-up producing uniforms for some domestic and international clients during university time, as well as new acquired knowledge, I dream of an international
STEP fashion business with its headquarter located in Vietnam. Zara in Spain, H&M in Switzerland, Pull and Bear, Burberry in UK, UNIQLO in Japan are all typical examples for such business.
STEP If successful, it will be the ďŹ rst Vietnamese fashion brand goes global and proposed to create jobs for many domestic labors and to provide high-quality products adapting reďŹ ned taste of international customers. It may take me 10 years, 20 years, or even longer to make the dream come true. However long does it take it still requires enormous eorts and high focus at any time. To prepare for that dreaming business, I myself think that I should have good international networks, have profound knowledge bases and have a non-stop innovative mindset, because fashion changes through time. And I strongly believe that Master of Global Business program provided by Gustavson School of Business in University of Victoria will provide me with such things. Besides, I will certainly grasp the opportunity to apply for a vacant position of companies in clothing industry, so that I can build up network, and to learn how organization and standard operation processes are formed.
8
#5 REASONS to choose MGB Master of Global Business (MGB), besides MBA and Master of Managament, is a program provided by Gustavson School of Business. However, with my current situations and future plan, I choose MGB because of following reasons:
1
FITTING WITH MY PARTICULAR SITUATIONS MBA programs in Canada virtually require 2-year professional working experience and GMAT scores. They seem to be unreachable for a fresh graduate like me to have. However, with Master of Global Business, which is designed to have the same curriculum with MBA, but under “international lens” and does not demand such requirements, I can gain a Master degree sooner with many interesting realistic global experience.
PROVIDING MORE EXPERIENCE WITHIN LESS AMOUNT OF TIME
2
As in my plan, I want to spend time traveling first before studying. And I will only think of working for professional experience after receiving Master degree. Nevertherless, it will take me up to 4 years to stick to the plan, whereas the length of time reduced threefold with MGB. It is a 3-in-one program, with which I can do all things above almost simultaneously, thus saving significant amount of time.
9
GROWING MY GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE AND NETWORKS MGB program provides an international environment for studying, working and travaveling experience, from which I will have chances to immerse myself in different cultures with a multi-cultural cohort; to meet friends from country to country; and to be prepared neccessary skills, mindset and opportunities for my future international bussiness.
3
CHALLENGING MYSELF
4
Before knowing MGB, I just think of going to somewhere that I am able to communicate well with the local by using English or Chinese because I believe that it will help me to understand and experience better the culture there. The MGB of Gustavson School of Business changed my mind. It is time for me to think differently! It will be more challanging if I throw myself into a completely new country with different environment, culture, language, or climate. Yet what makes me excited most is that my cohort will experience the same challenges right along with me, which will enable us to share and take advantage of each others’ knowledge, languages or experience.
RECEIVING TIMELY AND HELPFUL SUPPORTS At first, I was so confused about the program. Everything was completely blank, but I did not want to send an email to ask because I thought what I received would be an email fulling with links or exactly what had been posted websites. However, I was so excited about the program that I decided to send an email to Gustavson School of Business to ask some questions and received such wholehearted responses all she can to my questions. Honestly speaking, what she made brought a super good impression and feeling to me about Gustavson, staffs, as well as the program. I am much grateful to her, without her help, I might not have gone as far as now. 10
5
#3 THINGS I will bring to MGB and cohort I desire to be a part of MGB family, together with friends facing challenges. I do not mind working in group, and here are 3 things I think I can contribute to the program as well as my cohort by my own philosophies:
A MOTIVATOR WIH INNOVATIVE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS As stating again and again, I adore differences and always try to evaluate problems under many distinct perspectives, then to generate as much innovative and creative ideas as possible. That is also my last philosophy and I strongly believe that these are also crucial factors for teamwork in general; and in particular, for dealing with ahead intensive challenges from the program. I will make efforts to come up with different interesting solutions from time to time, due to the fact that I outrageously hate boring repeats. Hope that my ideas will come as a fresh air to everyone.
11
A SUPPORTER WITH POSSITIVE MIND Colleagues and friends hardly see me frustrated, even in front of worst circumstances. It is because I am very good at putting on a brave face. I do that to encourage myself and others from becoming far negative. I usually try my best to cheer everyone up by saying funny things or motivative words. Everything will be OK eventually, thus we do not need to be angry, anxious or depressed . Colleagues and friends working with me love that spirit of mine very much. In my opinion, a possitive mind is very vital in group working, which is also one of my three philosophies as working or studying. In the future, as facing challenges from MGB program, I will try hard to be the one maintaining, inspiring and spreading out that possitive thinking to everyone, so that we will have best experience together.
A CONNECTOR WITH CULTURAL RELATIVISM SPIRIT I myself always try to keep cultural relativism in mind: try to understand as others’ culture, belief and value based on theirs own rather than to judge them against criteria of another. I think this spirit and global mindset should be prioritized so that one can open their minds to learn and connect with the others. And I volunteer to play role as a connector among different cultures! Friends in the same group will certainly find comfortable working with me, since I do not judge their origins, skin colors or cultures, and always want to make friends. However, actually, the only thing that I am afraid of is whether they judge mine and do not want to make friends with me in return. Indeed, the second philosophy of me is that I cherish all moments and chances of meeting a friend, because it is not easy to receive that favor of God. Everyone we meet in lifetime is a piece that helps us accomplish the picture of life. Thus, there are no points wasting such good opportunities for hatred, racism and discrimination!
12
THANK YOU